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The Low Point In Our History
Excerpt from "21 Essential Lessons" complied by Werner Schroeder from the Bridge to Freedom material
Let us ever be grateful to and remember the service given by Sanat Kumara, one of the greatest friends the Earth has ever known.
Once the laggards were brought to Earth, mankind started its downward trend. The "local mist" (Genesis 2:6) caused by the laggards became a total veil, generated when most of mankind tuned into thoughtforms of misqualified energy and produced some of their own. This downward trend continued until the Earth reached such a low point that it became a concern of the Hierarchy of its galaxy.
Cosmic Law demands any planet to carry a certain amount of Light (harmoniously, constructively-qualified energy) by its inhabitants as a condition of maintaining its place in a solar system. About two and a half million years ago, during the Mu‑Age (Lemurian Age), the Earth fell short on the following counts:
1) It did not emit sufficient constructive radiation.
2) It did not contribute sufficiently to the music of the galaxy, the so‑called "Music of the Spheres."
3) Its rotating axis was tilted 45 degrees. If the degree of inclination would have increased, it would have been disastrous; (now, in 1998, it is tilted about 23 degrees).
4) Guardian spirits cannot stay indefinitely on a planet. They must return to their own planets, their natural sphere of activity. Their place must be taken by the natural lifestreams of the Earth. This has not occurred. THE FIRST THREE ROOT RACES ASCENDED, BUT OUT OF THESE MILLIONS OF LIFESTREAMS, NOT A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTED IN ANY MANNER TO THE SUCCEEDING RACES. All of these individuals chose to progress at inner levels, and thereby elected not to assist the inhabitants of the Earth.
5) Man descended to the stage known to us as the caveman. Even the knowledge of how to make a simple fire became a forgotten item. The age of the dinosaurs prevailed.
6) The spark in the heart of the individual, which maintains his life, and which anchors the I AM Presence, had shrunk to one sixteenth of an inch.
7) The nature kingdom revolted and refused to bring forth any new foliage for a mankind so full of discord and lack of appreciation of their services.
Against the backdrop of these alarming developments, Helios and Vesta were required to attend a Cosmic Council. The Council was attended by representatives of the galaxy of which the Earth is part, as well as by representatives from other galaxies. The conference was chaired by Alpha and Omega, who are responsible for our galaxy.
After considering all pertinent factors, a proposal was made to write off the Earth as a useless experience. As part of this plan, the Earth was to be swung off its axis, thereby dissolving it. This would have meant the end of the opportunity for all life to use the Earth as a vehicle of self-expression and growth.
Sanat Kumara, an Ascended Being from the planet Venus, and one of its regents, at this point suggested that if an Ascended Being with sufficient Light (constructively-qualified energy) chose to remain in the atmosphere of Earth and offer his Light as a balance for the Light‑quota lacking on Earth, the Earth might be saved. Sanat Kumara would have to stay on Earth, until a worthy successor could be found and the Earth would again emit sufficient Light.
Archangel Raphael agreed, and asked for volunteers. Sanat Kumara indicated he would be interested provided that his twin‑flame, Venus, the other Co‑Regent of the planet Venus, would consent. Venus subsequently agreed, and this freed Sanat Kumara to proceed with his mission.
It was stated to the students in the 1950's that Sanat Kumara had fulfilled similar missions before, each time returning home victorious. (From this account it is reasonable to assume that a similar "fall of man" also took place on other planets.)
In the Bible Sanat Kumara is called "the Ancient of Days" (Daniel 7:9).
Preparation For Shamballa
After returning to his home‑star Venus, Sanat Kumara made the announcement of his offer to his people. Inspired by his example of selfless love, 30 priests from the planet Venus offered to precede him to prepare a place for him. They imprinted into their memory the City of Shamballa on Venus, which was to serve as a model for Sanat Kumara's home on Earth. Then they bade good-bye to their families, their home, and their planet, and stood before the Lords of Karma of the Earth. This great Council accepted the offer of the volunteers with great gratitude.
There were no special privileges accorded to these priests. They were bound to the laws of the Earth, including the wheel of re‑embodiment, and each one was to understand that he had to share Sanat Kumara's destiny, namely, none would be released until the hour came when the Earth's own Light was sufficient to meet the demand of Cosmic Law.
They were not granted the privilege of consecutive consciousness, and had to submit to the "Bands of Forgetfulness," an act of mercy which applies to all unascended lifestreams of the Earth. Were it not for this act of mercy, mankind would be troubled with the memory of thousands of embodiments, which according to the Masters, would give us too much to handle at one time. Therefore, all that was left of the memory of Venus was the imprint on their etheric bodies of the picture of Shamballa as it existed on Venus, or the promptings of their hearts. There was to be no Master showing them the way on Earth, and no other outer assistance given.
When the priests awoke in infant form, they looked the same as any other individual on Earth at that time. They were born in different countries, some were born in North America.
After they reached adulthood, the former priests of Venus followed their heart's promptings, causing some to leave their families. A part of those living in the area today called the United States gathered near what is now New York City. They had one thing in common, an inner memory of a shining city. They crossed several great seas and continents. Some of the former priests finally gathered on the mainland, close to the Gobi Sea, a large body of water which is now the Gobi Desert. Many had experienced a wearisome journey, but a burning desire lighted their way, and let them remember their purpose sufficiently to find their pilgrim brothers.
After arriving upon the shores of the Gobi Sea, the strongest among them brought forth a vision of their purpose, and it was confirmed in the hearts of the others. Thus started the preparation of what is known as "the building of Shamballa."
The Earth, 2.5 Million Years Ago
Let us pause here a moment to reflect upon some of the details which the Masters gave us on the topography of the Earth at that time.
According to one dictation, the present Gobi Desert was a large inland sea, and its sapphire‑blue waters dashed against the Himalayan Mountains. Another dictation speaks of "swiftly moving waters." This suggests that the large body of water called the "Gobi Sea" had at least one inlet and one outlet. "There were hills not too far from the Gobi Sea, occupied by savage members of the human race. They were the laggards."
There is evidence that at one time there was indeed a Gobi Sea. A geologist, Professor Rehwinkel, stated that the territory now known as the Gobi Desert was at one time a large inland lake as large as the Mediterranean Sea. "The existence of this inland sea is attested to by the abundant sedimentary deposit around the circumference and also by the Chinese historical reference to it as the 'Great Han Hai,' or the Great Interior Sea.
The dictation which told of the priests starting out from the United States mentioned they had to cross several great seas and continents, and several other dictations suggest that from the beginning of time there were always several continents above water. Cosmic Law tends to support this view. The overcrowding of this planet caused by allowing billions of laggards to occupy it, makes it mandatory for the Karmic Lords to continually find new opportunities for unascended lifestreams to redeem their karma. Therefore, large amounts of land have to be above water on a continual basis.
The Building of Shamballa
Within the Gobi Sea there was an island with lush green foliage, upon which it was decided to build Shamballa. This island was later called "White Island."
Drawn together by the bonds of common interest in one cause, the next task of the 30 volunteers was to find the material of which Shamballa was to be built, and by the labor of their own hands, design and build from marble and stone the vision which they held within their minds.
Conditions were similar to those encountered today. There was no special assistance given these individuals. There was a veil, and there was no coming and going of visible angelic beings.
"From all over the world they carried by the sweat of the brow and not in mystic chariot, all the tremendous pieces of marble and the various other heavy stones that formed the mighty edifices. They used the most beautiful materials the Earth could offer. Some among them, who were powerful in the use of magnetization, helped them in the erecting of some of these stones, weighing tons."
The latter statement may be of significance. Did these priests, who had the power of levitating stones, later embody in Egypt and assist in building the Great Pyramid at Giza? Many have wondered how man could place single stones, weighing 20 tons each, to positions of great elevation, and with such precision, that one can hardly fit a razor blade between the joints. The Masters stated, the early pyramids were built by the power of levitation.
We don't have to go all the way to Egypt to admire excellent craftsmanship in stone‑masonry. We have such an example right here in the United States. The late Edward Leedscalnin, an immigrant from Europe, built some marvelous stone structures at Coral Castle (28655 S. Federal Hwy, Homestead, Fla. 33030) near Miami, in the 1930's and 1940's, that have baffled the minds of many. Working all by himself, and using only ordinary tools (stone‑chisels, block and tackle, and some old metal‑chains) he lifted heavy stones weighing up to 28 tons, over 10 feet high. All joints are very tightly matched and perfectly square. As material he used coral, which he found on his property.
As seen on the television series, "In Search of . . .," a crane operator using a modern heavy crane tried in vain to duplicate this feat. Either the cable snapped or the sides of the sharp cornered blocks of coral chipped off. Leedscalnin often worked at night to keep away the curious. It is said he did have electricity, yet his place was not connected to a power line. Is it possible that he tapped into the magnetic currents that are around us, as it was done on Atlantis, where generators tapped into the energy currents of the air and supplied all needs for heat, light and transportation? Leedscalnin claimed he knew how the Great Pyramid at Giza was built, and the fruits of his labor show that he may be entitled to this claim.
Continuing the account of the Masters, in the building of Shamballa, the first task of the priests was to build a beautiful bridge connecting the mainland with the island. It was carved of the finest marble, engrained with pure gold, and contained exquisite figures of cherubim. Adjacent to the bridge on White Island was a tree‑lined avenue which led to the main temple, meant to be Sanat Kumara's residence.
The main temple was built upon the highest point of the city. There were marble steps leading to it, broken by grassy terraces placed at intervals of about 12 steps. These terraces were adorned with gaily colored flowers and rainbow‑hued fountains. The great door of the temple was of tremendous height. Its golden filigree work reflected the sun like a gigantic mirror. The main temple itself, as well as the remainder of the city, was built using white marble, hence the names "White Island" and "City of White."
The temple for Sanat Kumara looked similar to the Taj Mahal of modern times. It was of Cyclopean architecture. White minarets of the City pointed heavenward, and its golden-domed temples gave the impression of a gigantic fire‑lotus suspended in the atmosphere. Lovely fountains adorned the front of the building.
Shamballa was not built all at once. Construction was frequently interrupted by destructive hordes, who came down from the hills, killed the builders, and destroyed their work. As soon as their physical bodies were disconnected from their etheric bodies (souls), they applied again to be quickly provided with opportunity for a new embodiment. This request was always granted. Undauntedly, for 900 years, the builders of Shamballa continued their service of love, brushed away the rubble, and started anew, sometimes even having to rebuild the very foundation of the temples.
Sanat Kumara Enters Shamballa
One day, working against time – there was a cosmic moment beyond which the Cosmic Law would not allow the Earth any more energy, and Sanat Kumara would have to come whether Shamballa was completed or not – the city was finished.
The Lemurian Pole Star (which apparently fulfilled a function similar to today's North Star) was at its zenith, signifying this cosmic moment, and Sanat Kumara, accompanied by three other Kumaras from Venus, entered his residence. Happy and grateful were the builders, who had endured the 900‑year effort to complete Shamballa, a place so magnificent that the like of it has never been equaled at any time on Earth. They knelt in thanksgiving and application before God and Sanat Kumara, thus forming an etheric record. Thousands of years later pilgrims entering the United States tuned into this record in establishing Thanksgiving Day.
After arriving at Shamballa, Sanat Kumara drew forth the immortal Threefold Flame of God. The concentration of that flame had never been known on the Earth before, because it represented the vibratory action of the planet Venus. A tiny thread of this flame was anchored into the heart of each of the 10 billion lifestreams belonging to Earth's evolutions, both into those in embodiment and those out of embodiment. The crisis passed, and Earth was saved.
The Forming of the Great White Brotherhood
Next, a ways and means had to be devised whereby the natural children of the Earth and their pledged guardian spirits might be awakened to their own responsibility. It was required of them to create an aura of Light for their planet, to satisfy Cosmic Law, and to allow Sanat Kumara to return to his home star. Sanat Kumara prepared for this by founding the Great White Brotherhood, a united inner group of Ascended Beings. The service of this spiritual order was to teach interested students Cosmic Law, and to eventually draw them into the Brotherhood. This way they would be prepared to assume, at some future time, responsibilities and positions held by volunteers from other planets.
The Great White Brotherhood is comprised of Ascended Beings who are all specialists along some particular line of spiritual service and endeavor. Their goal is to set the Earth and its evolutions free. Members of the Great White Brotherhood live only to serve God.
The first two of Earth's lifestreams to so respond were Gautama Buddha and Lord Maitreya. From this small beginning, the Brotherhood has gained in strength and numbers through the centuries.
After Sanat Kumara arrived, a priest of the Order of Zarathustra returned to mankind the knowledge of the physical fire.
Previous to the coming of Sanat Kumara there were ages when only three persons held the connection from the Earth to the divine realm; at one time there was only one person. That connection held the Earth in orbit.
So it was that Shamballa was completed in three different time intervals; once or twice it was destroyed by cataclysmic action. One Master said that the final building of Shamballa was recorded in occult literature as having occurred 60,000 years ago. According to another dictation "remnants of the bridge to 'White Island' may now still be found under the shifting sands of the Gobi Desert." The desert was formed as a result of cataclysmic action, during which the Gobi Sea was changed to a desert. When the physical buildings of Shamballa were destroyed, an etheric counterpart of Shamballa was created above it. Sanat Kumara stayed at this etheric retreat until 1956, when he was able to return to Venus, through the efforts of students of the Bridge to Freedom. These students, through voluntary application of the Law, had increased the Light-Quota of the Earth by constructively qualifying energy. This way they created the necessary conditions for Sanat Kumara's return.
Let us ever be grateful to and remember the service given by Sanat Kumara, one of the greatest friends the Earth has ever known.


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Published: 2007/06/25
by Brian Ferdman
- Frank Zappa Classic Albums: Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe()
Eagle Rock
It works like this. If you take a kind of a melody, I dont care if its Hawaiian music or whatever it is, and you play it with a Fuzztone guitar and a certain kind of a drum beat, people will call it rock n roll. But what you got is a Hawaiian song, so how are you going to categorize it? Frank Zappa
With a career that spanned over thirty years, over 60 officially released albums, and thousands upon thousands of hours of live concert footage, Frank Zappa has a cannon of work that can appear quite daunting to the outsider. Where does one begin when attempting to understand a prolific artist of this magnitude? Well, the Classic Albums series would like to direct the uninitiated toward Zappas Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe(), as both albums are profiled in a new documentary that draws on archival interviews with Zappa, along with recent chats with Dweezil Zappa, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai, Billy Bob Thornton, and more.
As Zappas style would evolve and incorporate new sounds, his band would continually change. However, he essentially had the same unit intact for the recording of these two seminal albums in 1973 and 1974. A notorious taskmaster, Zappa rehearsed his ensemble religiously, and they were in fine form when they went into Ike Turners studio to begin recording Over-Nite Sensation. In one of the more interesting aspects of the documentary, it is revealed that Tina Turner and the Ikettes sang uncredited backup on this album, each collecting a surprising $187.50 for seven contracted hours of work. Later, during Dweezils deconstruction of the mix, Tina Turner is heard singing Zappas trademark ridiculous lyrics, such as Dont bite me, on the song Zomby Woof.
Speaking of this deconstruction of the mix, Dweezils efforts here are the sure-fire highlight of the film. As he removes track upon track from the sound, we begin to comprehend Zappas genius. So many layers went into his compositions, creating a dense sound that was filled with intricate subtleties and nuances that only made sense when compiled together. We also learn the advantages of recording in analog as Dweezil discusses how the vocals of Dirty Love were recorded at a slower speed and then pitched backed up, something that is impossible to accomplish when recording digitally. In addition, Dweezil demonstrates how the bands own sense of dynamics had Dinah-Moe Humm mixed well before the engineers even started playing with the levels.
The extras on this release are really essentials. Dweezils lengthy efforts on the mix are included here in their full glory, and we learn how Ruth Underwoods marimba was electrified by drilling transducers into each one of the bars. However, the real stars are the live cuts, particularly the jazzy Montana from 1973 and Im the Slime from a 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live. The latter is especially thrilling because Zappa did what few other artists did at the time or have done since, as he turned his promotional gig on SNL into a real performance art piece. It was indicative of Zappas unique approach to his art: always thinking on a different plane and staying on the cutting edge. That attitude permeates both Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe(), and its rightly celebrated on this informative and entertaining film.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cycling Through Chords - A Musical Lifeline
Chord changes on guitar are more often than not strummed or plucked. While this can work well in most situations, there are other options for when it may not be an ideal approach.
When a guitarist is performing chord changes in a song, the sound of cycling through chords using arpeggiated picking can be a fantastic way to take your chord playing up to a whole new level...
Cycling Through Chords - A Musical Lifeline:
Developing cycling patterns across chord changes will greatly enhance the way chord changes are interpreted. And, since this skill is relatively easy to do through continuous down and up stroke picking /alternate picking - there's no reason why you can't add this technique into your skill set as soon as right now.
Having the flexibility for doing this in your guitar playing will offer a unique lifeline to the overall sound of all of the music that you perform. You'll have more control plus you'll be able to cover more musical styles.
The easiest form of cycling through chord changes is to perform direct down and up pick motions across chord voicings. This technique is often called arpeggiated picking. Make a study of the example one progression below.
Example 1). Arpeggiated technique performed directly down and up across chord voicings.
Once you have developed good control over performing across a number of chords in a simple progression, the next step is to work out a cycling pattern across a group of chords.
The pattern that you begin with can be of any sort you wish. However, in the beginning strive for taking one type of pattern and use it consistently. This will avoid the risk of poor technique occurring from being too random. Study the progression shown below in example two.
Example 2). Performing an established picking cycle across a group of chord changes.
Once you've developed a number of cycling patterns and you've learned how to control the way that the chords are being arpeggiated, the next step is to begin combining some strumming technique along side the cycled picking ideas.
In example three, the pattern is broken between strum attacks and picking patterns. Take your time organizing how they operate, then try playing through the exercise.
Example 3). Learn the combination strumming and cycled arpeggio pattern approach shown in the example below.
There are endless ways that picking through a chord using a cycled pattern can be done. You'll need to start this technique using very basic systems. After a number of these systems are developed (in different fingerboard locations), try taking the approach into new directions.
Use different chord qualities like seventh's, extended and altered chords. Try adding suspended tones and invent ways that scales can be included as well. Over time you'll have an arsenal of variations to use when creating cycles through progressions.


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|Vigil update - new fence info - victory in Uruguay - news
SOA Watch Update
November 9, 2004
Ten days and counting!
"You stand for peace instead of war, compassion instead of brutality, a country mindful of human rights and rejecting militarism....It is actions like yours that historically have been necessary to bring about social change. I believe that your persistence, year after year, will one day bring results, that this school of assassins will be closed and we will be one step closer to world peace."
-- Howard Zinn, historian and author
1. November 19-21 Vigil update and new fence information
2. Victory for the people of Uruguay
3. An open letter to those considering visiting the SOA/ WHINSEC this November
4. SOA/ WHINSEC in the news
On the heels of SOA Watch?s Eleventh Circuit Court victory banning the use of metal detectors and checkpoints at the annual Fort Benning vigil, the City of Columbus has installed a new fence on Fort Benning Drive, the site of our annual gathering. Built less than a month before our annual gathering, the 8? high chain link fence will stretch approximately a half-mile from the military fence towards Torch Hill Road on both sides of the street.
Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that police had to find new security options because they couldn't search each protester, claiming, ?Law enforcement has to be ready for anything.?
Like other attempts to silence and criminalize dissent ? from the blaring of military music during last year?s gathering to intimidating and unconstitutional searches ? this new fence will not quiet our cries for justice, peace and the closure of the SOA!
Click here to read the Associated Press article about the new fence.
You may have had to turn to page A48 to find it in your US newspaper, but October 31st marked an historic day for the victory of democracy and people?s movements for social and economic justice in Latin America. In Uruguay, a leftist coalition, the Frente Amplio, won the presidency with their candidate Tabar? Vazquez, who shares a vision for justice in Latin American with Argentina's Kirchner, Venezuela's Ch?vez, and Brazil's Lula da Silva.
In the same election, more than 60% of the Uruguayan people supported an amendment adding water as a human right to the Constitution and setting the basis for its exclusive public, participatory and sustainable management.
Recent history has seen peoples movements?from Brazil to Uruguay to Venezuela?building enough power and energy to take back power in their national governments. May we continue to learn from and be inspired by their stories of resistance, resilience and victory!
Former SOA Watch media coordinator Matthew Smucker was in Uruguay the night of the elections. Click here to read his article, ?Witnessing the Victory of the Left in Uruguay?.
Fr. Joe Mulligan, SJ and Gary Ashbeck both served time in prison for their acts of nonviolent civil disobedience at Fort Benning in November of 2003. They recently wrote an open letter to anyone considering visiting the SOA/ WHINSEC while in Columbus this November:
?Some faculty and students of Jesuit and other universities are being invited to make an officially approved visit to the U.S. Army's Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly the School of the Americas (SOA). Those who accept the invitation may be able to raise some important questions and to learn some interesting things about WHINSEC, but they should recognize that they will be entering onto the Army's well-financed public-relations turf. Military officials would not extend the invitation if they were not confident that they could make a good presentation of their Institute -- within their desired parameters of analysis.
To those who may visit the Institute we would like to offer the statement (see below) which we and others issued last November when we "crossed the line" at Ft. Benning. We tried to express aspects of our opposition to WHINSEC which are broader than the reasons which have to do with the past -- teaching torture (which the Pentagon admitted in 1996), training future human-rights violators and even a few dictators, etc.
Visitors must be prepared to hear distortions of the truth. For instance, in the past Army spokespersons at WHINSEC have denied such basic facts as the existence of the torture manuals. It is hard to debate when your adversary uses falsehoods?.?
Click here to read the rest of their letter and statement.
The National Catholic Reporter ran a front page story in its November 5 issue entitled, ?The US and Torture: Roots of Abu Ghraib in CIA Techniques.? This informative piece delves into the history of torture at the hands of US and US-trained soldiers and includes a section on the manuals used at the School of the Americas that advocated extortion, blackmail and torture. The article begins:
?Last April when Americans found themselves looking at photographs of U.S. soldiers abusing naked and hooded Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, it?s a safe bet that most didn?t realize they were looking at torture techniques refined by the Central Intelligence Agency over the last half century.
The Bush administration worked overtime to convince Americans that what they were seeing was the work of a ?few bad apples?.??
Click here to read the whole article.
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So another Birthday has hit the books and I am so incredibly grateful for the well wishes, the cards, and the phone calls. Its exciting to have all of the attention on you and more than the attention, its an honor to be in relationship with so many awesome people. So I thought I try this exercise of giving everyone an update to my life and giving thanks at the same time, so without further ado:
1) I am grateful that my parents have always refused to give me a dime of money. I know this sounds negative, but I am serious here. It has always meant that I knew how to hustle to get money when I need it and to always have a substantial savings account. In fact, I saved 80% of my salary at my last job, just in case things didn't work out. (And of course they didn't).
2) I am grateful that my last job did not work out. I have never been made so ill by a job in my life. Like I got nightmares about it ill, because it was something that was not aligned with where my life needed to be. The universe literally had to shake me, as a sign to let me know that I was off track, despite of the money and the prestigious title.
3) Further I am grateful that my last boss told me, as we were parting ways (his choice, not mine in the actual sense) that I can do anything I put my mind to and he hopes that I find that "thing". Which incidentally has been said to me by every damn boss that I have ever had. So I feel confident in calling that a "pattern". A pattern in which I take jobs because they sound like good roles on paper or because of the money, but not because I was ever genuinely interested in the role. And this sucks because I feel unfulfilled and then I feel bad when I eventually disappoint whoever hired me.
4. I am grateful to my former landlord for kicking me out of my apartment giving me about 2 weeks to find a new spot. Which forced me to ask myself the important question of where I want to live because honestly I would have never moved out of that mansion, despite the fact that we had a DEER infestation problem (yes, you read that right). After a few half-assed attempts to find a sublet, I got the novel idea to sleep on my friends' couches for a week at a time.
5) I am grateful to my friends, who let me stay in their apartments, on their couches, and on their floors for over 2 months, in which I ended up spending $611 dollars total - $140 of which was on a beautiful pair of Kate Spade heels which were like 80% off, and of course making them a Must- Buy. I then got a random idea that maybe I should be fabulously unemployed in LA because at least I can lay on the beach everyday.
6) I am grateful for Airbnb. I am currently living on the Venice Beach Canals with one of the most amazing views. I picked all of my favorite stuff, packed my car and drove to LA. I can walk to my coffee shop with the super cute french/armenian/italian/greek/Insert hot European ethnicity barista and plop down in the comfy chairs. I sit each morning attempting to plan out what next with my life as I sit next to screenwriters, coders, and other people pursuing some creative endeavor or actively bullshitting someone out of their money.
7) I am grateful that I have no plan. Turns out that I have always been a master planner. I studied for the SAT, when I was 12, when I overheard that my classmate Josh Snyder was declared a genuis when he got a 1600 and was allowed to skip the 8th grade. At 16, I knew every college scholarship, every internship, what grad schools to go to via getting a "consortium" scholarship or a "MLT" scholarship and I also knew that I was going to work in consulting at first, before working at either Disney, P&G, or Clorox, work at startup and live in SF. ( For those who don't know me, I did all those things in that order). So right now I have no plan but I do have a severance+ unemployment+ year savings+ no debt+ rental house+ life hustle+ 7 VISA cards.
8) I am grateful for my new LA roommate who is a tantric dancer/art consultant/play consultant/videographer/fortune teller/ street performer who writes really amazing things on the sidewalk, like today's word: "presence". I am also grateful that she asked this question the first day she met me "Are you living your life big or small?
9) I am grateful to live 3 blocks from the ocean. As a former "black girl" who couldn't swim. I am proud to be a reformed black girl who can swim, and lays on the beach to get "tan". I am also grateful that living near the ocean means needing to being able to rock a bikini with confidence at any moment. I have lost 26 lbs.
10) I am grateful to the beautiful men of West LA that have given me the ability to have high school crushes all over again. Seriously, these men are gorgeous, and after spending a few years in San Francisco, where everyone was pasty, pudgie, and slightly aspergie, I have come to realize that I am SHALLOW and that my feminine energy is less turned on by money or intelligence and is totally ignited by tall, fit men with man jowls and chiseled jaws. And trust me there are a ton of hot broke actors in LA.
11. I am grateful to my mom for giving me a great sense of style, because I honestly live out of a suitcase and I only have 4 pairs of shoes. Everything I have worn in the last 90 days has been sunset orange, royal blue, or hot pink.
12. I am grateful for my 15 year old Toyota Avalon beater car. Which I swear I have only taken to the shop once and for which I get an oil change every 6 months. I know that everyone is embarrassed by my car with the missing handle, the duct tape, and the broken tail light(s) but as I mentioned, I am debt-free due in part to the fact that I haven't had a car payment in 12 years. I also recognize that my car may be a death trap.
13) I am grateful for the freelance work that has fallen in my lap, that has allowed me to keep my mind in the game just enough to not completely float away into hippie outer space land.
14) I am grateful to have lived in SF, so that my expectations of what things should cost are so fucked up that I get excited to pay $3 for valet and $5 at happy hour. I am also thrilled that rent is like 40% less here and you get 400% more sun.
15) I am grateful to my friends, who listen to me and challenge me. I am even grateful to the friends that I have had to break up with, which serves as a reminder to me, to only surround myself with positive people who do NOT have drama.
16) I am grateful to my college bestie in LA, who has such beautiful children, that I can get my "cute kid" fix instead of stalking this kid on Instagram and Pinterest (okay I admit it, I do follow him on instagram, but only on instagram). While also confirming that pushing out children is not the path I chose for myself at this time.
17) I am grateful for my dad, who while not really ever having any answers, always supports me in whatever flavor of the week idea I present to him. Especially, when I know that he knows, that I know that he has no understanding of what I am talking about.
18) I am grateful to the melanin in my skin that I still look youthful. I mean really is that the look of someone who is in their mid 30s? Is that vain? All I would say is slather your face daily with coconut oil, people. For REALZ.
19) I am grateful that I have a fool's understanding of the stock market and that I invest in dumb stocks like Zynga and ETFs with names like Pacific RIM Emerging Markets Tiger 3 Fund (How racist is that fund's name) and have managed to earn money. And that I have been investing since I was 13.
20) I am grateful to the universe for giving me my sense of humor. Despite whether you think I am funny or not, my ability to see the joke in everything has allowed me to go thru some dark times in my life and still feel a general sense of lightness.
21) I am grateful for my writing partner, who is keeping me accountable for my new project, which is a book about entrepreneurship and the economy. Yes, I have this crazy notion that I can write a book, which is funny because 1) I hate to write (my grammar is like the WORST) 2) I literally know nothing about the economy. You can follow the progress @thesideeconomy on Twitter.
23) I am grateful for my comedy classmates. Turns out I found an old college journal and standup was one of the things on my bucket list, so that has become my second project of the summer. I love that I can say all of my ridiculous f#@$$#%$%d up thoughts to the group and not get judged by it. It is incredibly freeing to not be " corporate" Kimberly or "mba" Kimberly.
24) I am grateful to the tinder app which has replaced grindr as my new favorite app. Its shallow, brainless and quite effective for boosting one's self esteem :)
25) I am grateful to having gone to business school, because it still tricks some people into thinking that I am smarter than I really am. I really only went to B-school to buy a super expensive awesome rolodex. I am grateful that business school, in fact, did turn out to be an awesome rolodex and that I have access to people at all levels and strata of life.
26) I am grateful to my friend's Hulu+, Netflix, Showtime, and HBOgo accounts. So that when I am not chasing unicorns and farting rainbows I can pass the time watching Game of Thrones, True Blood, Arrested Development, and House of Cards.
And if you read this far, I am grateful that you are in my life and if there is anything you may ever need of me, please do not hesitate in asking. And for clarification, I did not move to LA. I like to think that I am summering on the beach or I tell people that I am testing out being "First World homeless". That said, I have no plans and I am not really sure where this adventure will lead. But for right now I am happy to sit on the beach, do yoga, write my book, drink kale juice, and lust over cute LA boys.


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There are a lot of thing for civil rights activists — heck, for all decent people — to be outraged about when it comes to the issue of race in America.
Chronic poverty and high unemployment and incarceration rates among African-Americans, for instance. Substandard housing and educational opportunities for low-income minorities. The undeniable persistence of discrimination that makes these and other problems so stubborn.


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Alexander Skarsgård Gets His Kale On!
October 8, 2012 — 19:17 PM
True Blood hunk, Alexander Skarsgård had to lose weight for his upcoming film, Hidden so he ditched gluten (no pasta or beer) and went heavy on the kale!
He tells Refinery 29:
"I just wrapped a film in Vancouver two days ago called Hidden. It's about a family who are hiding in a bomb shelter (hence the name). It's a post-apocalyptic film…pretty intense. The whole thing takes place in a bomb shelter with rats and soot and fire and smoke. Plus, I had to lose a lot of weight for it. I was on this diet for two months of water and kale salads basically. I was allowed a little bit of protein but no beer, no wine, no pasta. I like beer, wine, and rich foods. So, it was an intense experience but I had a really good time."
What do you think?


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Running head : JASMINE , THE PITCHER UNBROKEN
Jasmine by Bharathi Mukherjee
The Pitcher Remains Unbroken , Immigrating into Enculturation
Instructor 's name
The novel , Jasmine , by Bharati Mukherjee , spans three major geographic places . In the beginning is India . In between India and Iowa is Flushing and Manhattan , New York . The novel ends as the title character is on her way to California . In each of these places , the novel 's protagonist has different names as she adds onto herself the effects of the physical economic , political , and [banner_entry_middle]
cultural conditions she encounters . The sum of these effects is relevant for her to adopt changed behavior patterns
In India , as Jyoti , and as a seven year old , her future was foretold She would , said the fakir astrologer near the village of Hasnapur become a widow and an exile . The astrologer struck here and she fell against a twig that scarred her forehead for life . Her sisters worried as all the Hindu family would worry , about the scar reducing her changes of marriage . This physical injury only entered play in her interactions in India . Another physical encounter in India was with a dead dog in a stream . Once touched , the dog released a stench . At twenty-four , in Iowa , she recalls the stench – every time I lift a glass of water to my lips , fleetingly I smell it . I know what I don 't want to become (Mukherjee , 1989 ,
She did not want to remain known as one of nine her father had raised on thirty acres . She envied Vimla who lived in a two-story brick house with real windows (Mukherjee , 1989 ,
.15 . Jyoti lived in a mud hut But Vimla killed herself early in her marriage after her husband died – The villagers say when a clay pitcher breaks , you see that the air inside it is the same as outside . Vimla set herself on fire because she had broken her pitcher she saw there were no insides and outsides . We are just shells of the same Absolute (Mukherjee , 1989 ,
.15 . Jyoti 's shell remained unbroken in India , New York City , and Iowa . Also remaining was the desire to hoard water sorely needed at times in her village in Punjab
Her mother hoarded water and thought it cruel that God sent Jyoti 's family from a comfortable life in Lahore to a mud-hutted village . The Partition Riots had occurred as people were uprooted because Pakistan was coming into being out of the former India . Her father wanted the Lahore life to come back . It never could be , another pitcher had been broken . Ghosts and spirits came in the dark at nightfall . Her family had no electricity to keep them out
Jyoti liked chores but wanted to remain in school longer than had her sisters . A chance to marry off Jyoti , at thirteen , to a passable groom was scotched by her mother (Mukherjee , 1989 ,
. 48 . For her support her mother was beaten by her father , but Jyoti remained in… [banner_entry_footer]
Author: Essay RaptorThis author has published 9190 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.


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Kentucky State University softball picked up an SIAC tournament win against Tuskegee University, 8-0, but had its season come to an end later in the day to Miles College, 9-2 on Friday.
The Thorobrettes (16-21, 8-5) played for their playoff lives, sending the defending 2016 SIAC Champions home with an 8-0 win earlier in the day over the Tigers. The Golden Bears did the same to KSU, extending the Thorobrettes' SIAC championship drought to seven consecutive seasons.
Game 1: KSU 8 TU 0
Freshman Kiaja Aikman turned in a stellar performance in a time of need for the Thorobreds as she pitched a complete game shutout, and striking out three.
The Thorobrettes offense accounted for all eight runs, spanning from the second to the fourth inning. Freshman Natalia Bocanegra scorched a single to center, scoring senior third baseman Katelyn Drake and senior designated hitter Keyana Dunn, for a 2-0 lead. Senior center fielder Tyniesha Wilson followed later in the inning with a RBI single to left field, ending the inning with a 3-0 advantage.
KSU added five more runs through the duration of the contest for an 8-0 victory.
Sophomore shortstop Jittaun Thompson turned in a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Bocanegra, Wilson and senior first baseman Kaitlin Oshiro each turned in multi-hit games.
Game 2: MC 9 KSU 2
KSU jumped to an early 1-0 lead, looking to capture the same magic they had in the first game of the day, but the Golden Bears tied the game at 1-1 and later 2-2 in the second inning. The third inning proved to be a turning point as MC took its first lead of the game at 4-2.
The pitching change from freshman Chante Thome to Aikman occurred in the fourth, but the Golden Bears kept adding to their lead with three runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth for a final of 9-2.
KSU collected four hits, with Oshiro, Dunn, and junior second baseman Brittney Gately picking up singles, and Thompson added a RBI double.
by Eric Mathews


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(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Labor Department is one regulator that hasnt immediately fallen into line to give Credit Suisse Group AG a pass following its May 19 guilty plea for helping Americans evade taxes.
Now Credit Suisse needs a waiver from the Labor Department to retain its status as a qualified professional asset manager, or QPAM. Otherwise, it will automatically lose that privilege after its Aug. 12 sentencing. Under pressure from prosecutors, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission have already shown the bank some leniency.
The Labor Department, which oversees $7.9 trillion in pensions, is not a rubber stamp, said Michael Trupo, a spokesman. This is a very serious matter, and we are closely monitoring the situation. Zurich-based Credit Suisse, Switzerlands second-largest bank, declined to disclose the amount of public and private pension assets that could be affected by the ruling.
At least six large banks have won Labor Department waivers to keep their QPAM designations in the past 15 years, including Switzerlands largest bank, UBS AG. Credit Suisses guilty plea was entered by its main bank unit and reflects a harsher stance by prosecutors, who also are pressing BNP Paribas SA to plead guilty in a probe of sanctions violations, a person familiar with the matter has said.
Although fallout after Credit Suisses guilty plea has been contained, the Employees Retirement System of Texas said May 21 it was suspending trading with the bank because of a policy against hiring firms convicted of felonies. Credit Suisse was a broker-dealer for the retirement fund and didnt have assets under management, said Mary Jane Wardlow, a spokeswoman for the Texas system. A few large pension funds have said they also are reviewing their relationships with the bank.
Prosecutors got assurances from regulators including the Federal Reserve that the bank would be allowed to continue business in the U.S. after its conviction, people familiar with the talks have said. The Labor Department declined to comment on whether it was pressed by prosecutors for such a promise.
Denying QPAM relief could have very drastic implications for a banks dealings with pension funds, said Shannon Barrett, an attorney with OMelveny & Myers in Washington. It would be difficult to do business without it and to attract clients willing to engage you.
During Credit Suisses plea hearing, bank attorney Christopher Wray asked the court for 90 days to pursue regulatory waivers and singled out the Labor Department. Credit Suisse filed a request that day with department officials.
We continue to work with the Department of Labor and are hopeful that we will receive an exemption in a timely fashion, said Suzanne Fleming, a spokeswoman for the company. Chief Financial Officer David Mathers told investors May 28 that regulators have been supportive of the firms efforts to continue business in the U.S.
The Labor Department has granted every QPAM request since at least 2000, Trupo said, however, most of those cases related to potential conflicts of interest rather than to wrongdoing.
We cannot predict how long it will take to make a decision on the request, Trupo said.
Credit Suisse has so far avoided other regulatory bans. The New York Fed said last month that the bank can continue handling government securities as a so-called primary dealer. The SEC let the firm continue as an investment adviser while the agency considers a permanent waiver.
Hundreds of asset managers hold the QPAM designation, helping them to manage pension funds investments involving real estate, private equity and other relatively illiquid assets that can otherwise be blocked by potential party in interest conflicts. Firms that commit certain crimes are disqualified as a QPAM without a waiver.
The Labor Department granted UBSs waiver request last year after a unit in Japan pleaded guilty to wire fraud as part of a global resolution of allegations it manipulated benchmark interest rates.
When granting waivers, the Labor Department looks at whether the firms money-management arm was involved in crime or whether misconduct related to managing assets, said Lawrence Hass, a lawyer at Paul Hastings LLP in New York.
Credit Suisse would seem to fit into a pattern in which the Department of Labor would grant an exemption, he said.
The Labor Department may attach strings when granting requests. For UBS, it required the bank to comply with provisions of annual audits for five years, send pension clients a description of the case and prominently state that the conviction jeopardized its QPAM status.
There are always conditions, says Labor Department spokesman Trupo. We review these requests case-by-case.
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text:
Phone Number01:18 — Sully confides in a girl at the college party and gets her phone number.
Lovesick01:48 — After finding out Bryson has a girlfriend, Liz goes into a love-coma and Louis comes by to cheer her up.
Composing A Text01:54 — Sully asks advice on how to break the bad news to Liz when Troy accidentally texts Liz that Bryson has a girlfriend.
Nerd Pool Party01:49 — While gardening, Sully and Miles decide to take a break and have a dip in the pool.
Huge Apartment01:31 — While on a coffee date with Louis, Liz meets Marc, another art student looking for a roommate.
Behind The Scenes04:58 — Catch a glimpse of what went down behind the scenes on the 'My Life As Liz' Season 2 photo shoot.
Pratt Quad01:08 — Liz has trouble keeping up with her Pratt classmates and figuring out her found art project.
Japanese Tourists01:49 — Liz and Bryson stumble into a photo with a group of Japanese Tourists in Times Square.
Nerds Larping01:39 — The nerd herd takes larping very seriously.
Looking For Bryson02:07 — Upset that Bryson hasn't called her since being in New York, Liz thinks she spots him at Goodwill.
Indian Restaurant01:28 — Liz and Bryson enjoy a not so romantic dinner at an over the top Indian restaurant.
Nerds In Austin01:25 — On the road to Austin, Miles and Taylor break it down to Lady Gaga.
Lonely In New York01:28 — Liz confesses to Bryson that she's been really lonely in New York.
Larping For Liz01:02 — When Bryson interrupts the nerd herd's larping session he finds himself blade to blade with Sully. Tune in Tues at 11/10c.
Apartment Hunting02:10 — Liz sifts through the crazy inhabitants of New York, looking for a place to live.
Finding Bryson02:44 — Liz meets a cute guy while dumpster diving and Sully surprises Liz when he tells her that Bryson is in New York.
Ice Cream01:38 — Liz ponders her and Bryson's relationship before he has to return to Texas. Tune in Tues at 11/10c.
The Castle01:33 — Liz visits a party pad in Brooklyn that houses some insane party monster artists.
Pizza Pound02:23 — Liz forgets all about Bryson when she runs into Louis, that is until Bryson surprises Liz by showing up on her doorstep.
No Deal02:32 — While shopping with Louis, Liz gets a call from Marc telling her the apartment is no longer available.
Cabe Fare01:49 — While the gang parties in Austin, Liz and Bryson get reckless in New York when they skip out on the cab fare.
Text Bomb01:48 — When Troy and Sully accidentally text Liz Bryson's secret, they bomb her inbox with incomprehensible texts.
Larping For Liz02:00 — When Bryson tries to confront Sully about Liz, he finds himself in a blade to blade battle.
Lucky Cheng's02:53 — Bryson and Liz go to a drag bar and then share a romantic moment in front of the skyline.
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At Ironwood, we strive to have the most progressive and selective beer list around. We pour nothing but true craft beer from around the country. These are selected from hours and hours of research, tastings, and conversations with fellow beer enthusiasts. Every week, I scour the inventories of beer distributors to bring you the newest, the best, and sometimes the most interesting beer available to us. Of our thirteen stainless steel draft lines, Narragansett Lager, choice beer of Bartholomew Marion Quint (Remember Jaws?) is the one constant beer on draft. This is our approachable, easy drinking house lager. The twelve other lines rotate every time a keg kicks. The beer styles in our selection stay consistent, but the beers change keeping with the season. Our list stays fun, exciting and current. But don't blink- we change kegs frequently. Keep checking the BeerBoard App to make sure you don't miss a select favorite, or rare find! Whether you enjoy stouts, wheat beer, sours, IPA's or anything in between, you will always find a beer to enjoy at Ironwood.
— Jeff Freightenburg


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Thursday, March 05, 2009
Getting All Het Up: Won't Somebody Think of the Children?
As some might know, I don't suffer fools gladly at that goes double at events like this. If you're going to take up time at a once-a-year national meeting, you'd better have your ducks in a row and not waste it on poorly written inanities and resume padding, "I wrote a proposal that was approved blah blah blah." On the first day, I tore through a few of the more egregious proposals to the delight of my compatriots. I supported quality proposals as well, I'm not an obstructionist.
Down the agenda I could see a few odd proposals of which I couldn't make sense. The way I understand it, a few years before I attended someone proposed focusing on a relatively uncommon disease calling on everyone to "raise awareness" when they returned home. Worthless. Not only could you practically guarantee that no one would do it, focusing on an uncommon disease—what constitutes raising awareness anyway—isn't a good use of limited time and resources.
This convention, there were several candidates for "disease of the year" as I took to calling it. The most inconsequential one concerned *****, a rare genetic disease that is almost always fatal. ***** is commonly cited in biology classes during the genetics modules because it's an autosomal recessive disease and the mutation is much more common in Ashkenazi Jews, Cajuns, and French-Canadians of SE Quebec; 1 in 30 vs. 1 in 300 for the general populace. It's also significant because it was among the first genetic diseases for which a reliable, cheap screening tool was developed making it largely avoidable with proper knowledge.
The convention proposal was to "raise awareness" that ***** exists and that it's also more common in those of Irish heritage; 1 in 50 is a carrier. As was expected (and feared) the proposer was a mother whose child had *****. I could have let it go I guess, but I could see how this trend was developing so I stood up to speak against. My points were
A) The proposal offers no real action, just feel-good statements about "raising awareness"
B) This "Disease of the Year" trend was counter-productive and invited more each succeeding year, drowning out substantive proposals in favor of what amounts to emotional pleas
C) Why was *****, a disease that in its most commonly expressed form kills unremorsefully by age 5, more worthy of attention than more common and more treatable diseases like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis?
The for arguments boiled down to
A) This is my personal story and that's why it's important
B) Oh my God you guys, this is like, so sad
After the session was over, the woman who proposed it came up to me with a pitying look on her face, "I'm sorry that you feel that way about *****." Taken aback by this passive-aggressive attack (I'm so sad/smug that you're an awful person), I was flustered and started to say, "It's not about *****. It's..." when she threw up her hands in my face and shouted, "No!" before turning and practically running away.
I hate that shit. Of course you can disagree with my arguments, but don't approach me, accuse me of being a heartless asshole by way of "apologizing", and then refuse to listen to my response. Of course, did I really expect any kind of logical or diplomatic discussion to spring from a wholly emotional proposal?
Over night, the tide turned and I received much more support when I spoke against it again the next day. Yay for logic and reason. Out of respect for that mother I declined to pursue the scorched earth strategy that a few compatriots put forth, an endless series of amendments about every genetic disease we could find with increasingly harrowing personal stories about each accompanied by vituperative declamations against any who disagreed. See, I do have some sense of decorum.
UPDATE: I've edited this entry to remove the name of the genetic disease so that it doesn't return on web searches. People looking for information probably aren't interested in discussions of persuasive argumentation. This isn't about the one disease anyway, but about my frustration with empty, button-pushing rhetoric shouldering aside reason and science, especially when it comes to healthcare.
6 comments:
I love you. Everything you've said in this helps me regain hope in humanity.ReplyDelete
Wow, this coming from an ICU nurse! So much for empathy, understanding or basic human compassion. Maybe the proposal was not right for this particular convention but to speak of bereaved mothers with such sarcasm and disdain speaks volumes about your humanity. I pity those under your care.ReplyDelete
Yeah Coco, perpetuate the error, because I countered the idea of falling over ourselves rubberstamping an empty action, I don't have any compassion. Cause you totally know me and my practice based on my internal feelings about one event. And did you even read to the end? As I said, I *refused* to engage in the emotional brinkmanship that some encouraged.ReplyDelete
But feel free to sit on your high horse. My patients and their families appreciate me, and more often than not thank me profusely for what I do. What did you do today besides pity my patients from afar?
I didn't take issue with whether or not the proposal was valid. It was the way you wrote about bereaved mothers that I found disgusting. You may have a valid point about the proposal but it is lost in your disparaging remarks about the mother and other bereaved parents. From my high horse I can't see your tiny heart.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous4:39 PM, March 08, 2009
Wow, it's great how your point is immediately proved for you once in a while.ReplyDelete
Constructive criticism is hard to take but you're bound to get used to at the rate you are going.ReplyDelete


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Alien4Cloud is an open-source project initiated within FastConnect, an Atos subsidiary and supported globally by Atos. It is available at http://alien4cloud.org.
Alien4Cloud empowers IT departments allowing them to leverage on-demand the best infrastructure in any phase of the Application lifecycle (from dev to prod), by abstracting the Application requirements from the infrastructure and its resources catalogue. The infrastructure may be virtual or physical, private or public.
Alien4Cloud is an application that allows people in the enterprise to collaborate in order to provide self-service deployment of complex applications taking in account the different experts through a role based portal and modeller.


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377th Medical Group
Published February 03, 2015
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377th Medical Group
Medical appointments -- 846-3200
Mental health appointments --846-3305
Dental appointments -- 846-3029
Dental after hours -- 846-3200
The award winning 377th Medical Group provides daily operational medical support to the 377th Air Base Wing and over 100 associate organizations. Additionally, the group provides primary health care to patients enrolled in TRICARE Prime and assigned to Kirtland AFB clinic, and temporary duty personnel. The clinic provides primary and specialty care on a space-available basis to other eligible beneficiaries.
The facility works in a spirit of cooperation with the New Mexico Veteran Affairs Health Care System, and operates under a program called Joint Venture. To utilize Joint Venture services one must be an active duty member or a TRICARE Prime enrollee, specifically assigned to a primary care manager at the 377th Medical Group Clinic.
TRICARE PRIME Enrollment is open to all beneficiary categories. Enrollment is available in the Family Medicine, Pediatric, Flight Medicine, and PRP Clinics to serve you and your family's needs.
To access any medical clinics, including primary care or urgent care appointments, call 846-3200. Please remain on the line as your call is answered in the priority order it is received.
Hours of operation for the clinic are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
Hours of operation for the pharmacy are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The clinic is closed on the last Wednesday of every month for training. Other closures include federal holidays and "Family Days" declared as a down day for the 377th Air Base Wing.
Hours of operation for the Pharmacy are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For information on our Pharmacy please follow the link to the
Pharmacy Fact Sheet
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Return-to-duty clinic hours: Mon-Fri, 6:45 to 7:15 a.m. and 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.
If you are a PRP member and have received any medical care or treatment outside the MTF, you must bring all medical documentation and your orange sheet from your unit to the next return to duty clinic. To schedule urgent and routine medical appointments in the PRP Clinic dial 846-3200.
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Mission Statement: "Provide aeromedical services and rapid emergency response to ensure nuclear surety, expeditionary readiness, and operational support."
Sick call hours: Mon-Fri, 7 to 7:10 a.m. and 1 to 1:10 p.m.
For appointments contact 846-3200
For urgent/acute issues on weekends, holidays/down days, and after hours contact the On-Call Flight Surgeon at (505) 249-4647
Mental Health
Mental health appointments may be scheduled by calling 846-3305. If you cannot keep an appointment, call 846-3305 as soon as possible.
Dental Clinic
The 377th Dental Squadron provides a wide range of routine dental services including dental exams, cleanings, restorations (fillings), root canals, removal of wisdom teeth, dental implants, periodontal (gum disease) treatment, minor orthodontics (on a case by case basis), and several other dental services. Periodic dental exams are scheduled through each unit's Unit Health Monitors. The Dental Clinic is only available to Active Duty members and is located in a separate building adjacent to the main Medical Facility. For urgent dental needs, call the Dental Clinic to schedule an evaluation appointment. You can contact the clinic during business hours at 846-3027 or 846-3029. Urgent calls can be made after-hours, on weekends, and during holidays to 846-3200.
Family member dental care should be arranged with an off-base civilian dentist by the sponsor and at the sponsor's expense through the TRICARE Dental Plan. For more information call 1-855-MET-TDP1 (1-855-638-8371) or visit the web site at https://employeedental.metlife.com/dental/public/EmpEntry.do. Family members enrolled in the plan should contact their civilian dentist for all dental emergencies.
TRICARE is a health care program for members of the uniformed services (active, Guard/Reserve, retired) and their families around the world.
TRICARE is a major part of the Military Health System that:
· Combines the resources of military hospitals and clinics with civilian health care networks
· Offers several health plan options that:
Give you access to high-quality health care
Meet the requirements for minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act
· Provides comprehensive health coverage
· Supports military operations and readiness
TRICARE offers three main program options for Active Duty Members:
· TRICARE Prime (you must elect to enroll in this option)
· TRICARE Extra
· TRICARE Standard
There are more health programs for National Guard/Reserve Members and their families, survivors, former spouses, Medal of Honor recipients and their families, and others registered in DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System).
For more information on TRICARE, call the managed care support contractor, United Healthcare at 1-877-988-WEST (1-877-988-9378), visit
, or call one of the military beneficiary counselors and assistance coordinators at 846-3335.
Notice of Privacy Practices
(available in several languages) per HIPAA Privacy Requirement 158, Task 9. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule gives individuals a right to be informed of the privacy practices of their health plans and of most of their health care providers, as well as to be informed of their individual rights with respect to their protected health information.
This link includes the Notice of Privacy Practices form for print and various foreign language translations for print.
MiCare is a Department of Defense-sponsored web site where beneficiaries i.e. active duty, their dependents, retiree's and reservists, like you, can sign up to have your electronic health records delivered to a Personal Health Record of your choice. The types of medical information that can be sent to your PHR include: Labs, Radiology Reports, Allergies, Conditions, Procedures, In-patient and Out-patient notes and Medications.
Click here to access your MiCare account or get registered.
TRICARE Homepage
Access to all TRICARE information on appointments, doctors, plans, prescriptions, and referrals/authorizations.
TRICARE Handbooks
The TRICARE SMART site is your source for TRICARE educational materials online. This site includes TRICARE briefings, fact sheets, handbooks, and other materials.
TRICARE On-line
TRICARE Online provides secure access to online features for DoD beneficiaries receiving care through a military hospital or clinic. You can:
· View, schedule, and cancel military hospital or clinic appointments for yourself or your authorized family members
· Receive email and text message appointment reminders
· Refill and check the status of your prescriptions at your military hospital or clinic
· View, download, or share your personal health data via the Blue Button
· Access your patient centered medical home site to communicate with your health care team
· Access the online health risk assessments
To access these features, please log into TRICARE On-Line using your CAC, Premium DS Logon, or DFAS MyPay account.


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need for extra hardware in continuous row applications. Snap on cover makes installation quick and easy. For surface, pendant, or chain mounting, individual or continuous rows. Symmetric, asymmetric, and wall wash reflectors available.
Die formed heavy gauge steel with knockouts for stems or chain hangers.
Energy saving electronic ballasts comply with Federal Energy Efficiency standards. Ballasts are <10% THD and include 5 year manufacturer's warranty. Ballasts operate on 120V-277V (UNV) unless specified otherwise.
High Efficiency Aluminum reflector is UV inhibited and 95% reflective, making the product superior in retrofit projects by allowing lamping to be decreased while maintaining light levels. Front reflecting structure is protected with a nonyellowing acrylic coating, and the reflective film is then formed according to a custom optical design by computer controlled equipment to insure precision fabrication.
All metal parts pre-painted with high gloss baked white enamel with minimum 89% reflectance applied over iron phosphate pretreatment for maximum adhesion and rust resistance.
- All units bear UL label.
- Made in U.S.A.
- Suitable for damp location.
- ARRA and BAA compliant.


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Subscribe to The Grapevine to receive emails about special offers, recipes and wine tips. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Yield: 1 serving
3 oz Panama Jack's Long Island Tea
1 splash of cranberry juice
1 splash of pineapple juice
Pour all ingredients in pint glass, give one quick shake and serve with ice.


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Easier said than done! Everyone tells you to 'go with the flow,' but going with the flow isn't always as easy as it sounds.
When my dreams began cascading into life, I felt very reluctant to believe any of it would stick. So accustomed to looking for the other shoe to drop, I did more than reserve judgement ~ I got in the way of the flow more times than not!
So how did I finally get it?
Truth is, I'm not sure that I do. I don't know that I will EVER really get it fully. The thing I notice is that I am a lot quicker to stop when life feels like a struggle.
Go with the Flow of Cascading Dreams
"When life feels like a struggle, flip on some music and sing!"
You know. When the file won't upload because the server is slow. Or traffic is blocking the bridge and I'm going to be late. I am much quicker at stepping back and taking a break. Go for a walk. Do something else and come back later. Flip on some music and sing.
The funny part is that whenever I have the presence of mind to chill and ask the Creator to show me. There is something way better that pops up.
"Just as soon as I clear the struggle ~ the Creator spills the dreams."
The quote of the day is available as a removable wall decal or poster. Find Go with the flow of Cascading Dreams and other uplifting quotes in Joy's Garden. A Fine Art Print of this painting, Cascading Dreams, is available on canvas or watercolor paper.


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The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), December 16
New ideas and new activities demand the invention of a new vocabulary.
The word "selfie" describes the 21st century cultural phenomenon of taking a digital self-portrait and editing it immediately with different filters, to publish it online and market oneself instantly through social media. The ability to take selfies and edit them reveals a fatal flaw in human nature: self-centeredness. We, rather than God, are the center of our universe.
Paul lists nineteen characteristics of those living in the last days: "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Tim. 3:1-5a, emphasis added). He begins the list with "lovers of themselves." Men have always been lovers of themselves, but technology provides a shameless expression of self-centeredness.
How does a follower of Christ live in such a world? Paul urges Timothy to observe his life and follow his example, "But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured" (3:10-11). Paul's is a gospel-centered life—a life committed to Christ, following Christ, and embracing the difficulties that accompany such a life. He then points Timothy to the mirror that exposes self for what it is—the Word of God, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (3:16).
The Bible provides the "big story" or metanarrative of the world, where God is the center:
Doctrine: The Bible teaches man that God is holy, man is sinful, and that God moves towards man redemptively. It reveals who we are and why we are here, where we are headed, what's wrong with us and our world, and how we may be right with God.
Reproof: The Bible demonstrates God's judgment of sin. Sin is judged globally (flood), regionally (Sodom and Gomorrah), nationally (Israel), individually (Cain, Miriam, Aaron, Korah, etc.), and substitutionally (Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection).
Correction: The Bible confronts man's rebellion and unbelief, reveals Christ as the fulfillment of all the promises and pictures of redemption, and discloses the narrow gate and narrow way of faith.
Instruction: Before the Fall and after the Fall, throughout the Bible, God speaks. God's speaking always demands man's faith in the goodness of God and the veracity of His word.
Filters allow us to improve the outside to market ourselves, while God requires man to repent of self-centeredness and embrace a God-centered lifestyle—like that of Paul.
Questions from today's chronological Bible reading (2 Tim. 2:1-4:18):
Paul uses three analogies to describe the Christian life in 2 Timothy 2:1-7. What components do these analogies share? How does this translate to his description of the worker in the remainder of chapter 2?
According to 2 Timothy 3:1-9, what describes those living in the last days? Review Exodus 7:11-13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32. What does this example from the Old Testament reveal about many leaders in the last days? What does Paul prescribe as the antidote to ungodly living?


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What is Digital Marketing? Discover What You Need to Succeed
Digital marketing often gets used synonymously and interchangeably with other terms like online marketing or social media marketing. However, it is more correctly an umbrella term to describe any marketing activity utilizing digital media This also includes non-Internet solutions. In today's world, every business needs a digital marketing strategy. Don't you agree?
The reason the term can sometimes become confusing is there is a lot of crossover. As an example, Social media marketing (SMM) includes aspects of content marketing, behavioral targeting, mobile marketing, and more. Therefore, SMM is digital marketing that can fall under the sub-label online marketing. However, there are aspects of digital marketing that are not online—or not completely.
Push notifications to a digital device does not technically fall under online marketing. An app on a phone could notify a potential customer, when they are near your store, there is an in-store event or sale. You don't want them to go to your website. You want them to go into your physical location. Make sense?
So, Digital marketing goes beyond online marketing, and will include solutions specific to phones, tablets, gaming devices, and even things like digital billboards, smart televisions, and digital radio. Digital marketing also maximizes returns on investment by using targeting methods that focus not only on demographics, but online and offline behaviors and location. Are we starting to make sense?
I have created a very short list of common solutions used by digital marketers. Keep in mind, this is not all-inclusive. It is just a jumping off point to get one started in the right direction.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing (SEM) includes those activities to increase rank in search engine results. It includes both paid advertising and search engine optimization (SEO). In order for a website to gain the most traffic from search engine, it must show up on the first page of search results. This is the goal of search engine marketing.
Content Marketing
Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable and relevant original and curated content to attract and retain a targeted audience—with the ultimate goal of increasing leads and driving sales. This includes the creation and use of blogs, videos, photos, and more. The use of informative or entertaining content attracts customers to your brand, and gives them a reason to return to your website of social media page even when they are not ready to buy.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing identifies individuals that themselves have significant influence over potential buyers, and aligns marketing activities around those people. Influencer marketing activities can include:
- Marketing to influencers—increases awareness within the influencer's community
- Marketing through influencers—using influencers to increase awareness within a targeted audience
- Marketing with influencers—turning influencers into a supporter, backer, or promoter
Behavioral Advertising
Behavioral targeting's aim is to increase the effectiveness of advertising using a customer's behavior information. It allows for broad targeting of interests and buying styles, or more narrow targeting, such as previously viewed web sites or products. So, for instance, if a customer's profile shows he or she is a "coffee drinker," advertisements about coffee products can be shown specially to that person. This increases your return on investment by making sure those most likely to buy are the ones seeing your ads. Cool, right?
Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing sends promotions to cell phones, smart phones and other handheld devices. These tend to be short and simple marketing messages focused on participation-based campaigns, but can be used to entice potential customers to visit a mobile website.
- SMS & MMS marketing—similar to email marketing, sends messages, images, or videos to a user's phone
- Push notifications—sends notifications on the top of a smartphone or other digital device screen
- App-based marketing—apps allow for direct engagement, payment, and targeted advertising
- In-game mobile marketing—delivers promotional messages within mobile games
- Mobile web marketing—web pages and advertising specifically designed for mobile devices
- QR codes—sends URL or other information to customer's phone when they scan a 2D image with their built-in camera
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing (SMM) uses social media networks to increase brand awareness or website traffic and, much like search engine marketing, works to improve organic reach alongside paid social media advertising. The best practices of SMM focuses on building a community before a call to action. A brand can build trust and credibility, earning the sale before customers are ready to buy.


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FOREST PARK, GA – The resurgent NOPI Nationals Supershow series has teamed with Roy Hill's Drag Racing School to present the 2014 NOPI Drag events. The next event of the series will be held May 30 – June 1 at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, TN, featuring heads-up Pro Modified action with the stars of the Extreme Outlaw Pro Mod association, as well as Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, 4.90 Extreme, and Drag Bikes.
The ultra-popular NOPI Nationals events were the pulse of the import and tuner scene in the late '90s and early 2000s. After a four-year hiatus, the events returned with great success in 2012 and 2013 at Atlanta Dragway, and have expanded to Orlando Speed World Dragway, Bristol Dragway, and Myrtle Beach Speedway in addition to Atlanta Dragway for 2014.
"We come from a very strong import background, but we've been racing domestic cars in our program since 2006. This event, however, is our first all domestic-style race," said Mark Meyers, NOPI Nationals Supershows Managing Director. "Teaming up with a legend in the sport like Roy Hill will allow us to quickly increase awareness for our expanded drag racing shows."
As the presenting sponsor for the events, Hill will be offering an exclusive opportunity to ride in the Roy Hill's Drag Racing School 3-seater dragster. Tickets are $300 and can be purchased at www.nopinationals.com. This is a very limited opportunity, with only twenty ride tickets available for the event at Bristol Dragway. Tickets purchased in advance will also include two three-day event tickets.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we're pleased to be offering in conjunction with FireAde 2000 and NOPI Nationals," Roy Hill said. "We're looking forward to working with NOPI Nationals going forward and giving attendees the opportunity to scratch something off their bucket list."
Meyers also joined forces with a top brand in Pro Modified drag racing by teaming with Extreme Outlaw Pro Mod (EOPM), one of the most prominent regional Pro Modified associations in the country.
"This will be our first time working with EOPM and Pro Mods in general, and I'm excited about it," Meyers said. "They'll also be with us for our event at Atlanta Dragway in September. These are the most exciting and unpredictable cars in drag racing, and will be a great addition to NOPI Drag."
A total guaranteed payout of $15,500 is on the table for EOPM competitors qualifying for the 16-car field at Bristol Dragway. $15,000 in total purse is up for grabs in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster, while 4.90 Extreme will be vying for a guaranteed $6,000 purse. Drag Bikes will be competing for $2,000 guaranteed.
"We're not getting away from imports; we're expanding the scope of our events," Meyers added. "We want to put on a heck of a drag racing show. We've got so many other elements to these events, with drifting, car shows, hydraulic shows, swimsuit competitions, audio competitions, concerts, and more, that we wanted to focus only on the most exciting and entertaining drag racing classes."


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Mark Schlarbaum: Fight for Blood Cancer
Feb 10, 2017
"In helping others, we shall help ourselves,
for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us."
Thanks for visiting our fundraising page!
Please "DONATE NOW" toward the team goal.
* * * *
We are TEAM SCHLARBAUM, a dedicated Team in Training alumni who is training and fundraising to participate in the Chicago Marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training group. I have done Team in Training events in the past and have stayed connected to the cause. We have now joined together as a mighty force to raise funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. We are fundraising and completing this event in honor of all individuals who are currently battling blood cancers and in tribute to those who have fought and lost.
We are a mighty team, with a mighty goal, both determined and committed to meet this great challenge, but we cannot do it alone. We are asking for your help in making a difference … help us find a cure … help us save lives.
Together we can do this! Won't you join us in our mission by making a donation? Please use the DONATE NOW button on this page to ensure that it goes to the team goal.
Thanks for your support… don't forget to visit our site over the coming weeks to check out our progress!
"It takes each of us to make
a difference for all of us."


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Stacey is Sassy received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided was not the final version and may be subject to edits and changes
Published by Self-Published on April 18, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Author
He's sworn to uphold the law
His reckless behavior as a child caused the deaths of his entire family. On the lonely Sydney streets, the orphan found friends. Found "brothers." Never again will Seattle Homicide Detective Heath Justice break the rules and risk his new family. Order and discipline govern his life…until he meets a curvaceous redhead. With two ugly murder cases to solve, the last thing he needs is this disconcertingly lovely, whirlwind of chaos, yet…charmed by her wit and intelligence, Heath can't resist.
She believes rules are meant to be broken
Deep into writing a murder mystery, author London Shaw is shocked when she herself is implicated in a homicide. She can't believe the ever-so-authoritarian Detective Heath Justice expects her to simply ignore the crime and go on about her business. Not happening. Although the man's whiskey rough voice, cuffs, and masterful touch could melt any woman's resistance—and does—she has a craving to do a little investigating herself.
When all or nothing is your only play
When Heath's murder investigation threatens a far-reaching conspiracy, everyone he cares for becomes their target—including the woman he's come to love.
Tempting Justice
(Sons of Sydney #2)
by Fiona Archer
The Justice brothers are back.
I enjoyed reading Tempting Justice. I like to see siblings bonding with their teasing, sarcasm and humour bringing them together. Mostly having fun, but more times than not there's an opportunity to poke fun instead. No brother or sister is going to let you live it down when you stumble but what makes a great family is they're laughing…as they help you up.
I've met the Justice family before and I know they have each other's backs. Now, I know they'll have the backs of their brothers loved ones too. In Tempting Justice, we meet another close family, the Shaw's. Derek Shaw and Heath Justice work together as detectives and have been partners for the last three weeks. After an all-night stakeout, Derek talks Heath into having breakfast at his parent's house. Before breakfast gets touched, Heath finds himself having to pull out his cuffs to apprehend a criminal…Derek's sister, London.
London is a writer in the process of stepping out of her comfort zone. Her writing career as a Young Adult Romance author has made her a success, but she's ready for a change. This change is making her nervous because of the risks London has to take. Will she lose her readers? Can she maintain the same level of success in a different genre? By changing her genre, will she still have a publisher? These worries play on her mind but she's determined to go through with it.
One of London's first steps in the writing process is research. Unfortunately, her research lands her in hot water with a very sexy Aussie officer of the law who cuffs her and holds her for questioning. When London's dear old brother comes out and finds his sister cuffed, instead of running to her defence, he laughs. Not willing to be intimidated, London stands up to Heath and comes clean to Derek why it seems she's breaking the law.
There is plenty of sizzling attraction between Heath and London. Heath knows what he wants and acts on his desire to get to know London more. With her brother being his work partner, he knows that he will have to be careful. London is extremely busy with her writing commitments but she's definitely willing to make time for Heath. As they get to know each other better they realise they are complete opposites when it comes to order and spontaneity. Heath is order and London is spontaneity…which they hope will balance each other out in the end.
Tempting Justice has a mystery to solve and it will take Heath, his brothers, Derek and his brother Aidan (also a cop), and London and her girl pals, working together to find the answers.
I found that I was a little disappointed with the "erotic" portion of the story. There were times that I felt that everything was laid out and explained a little too clearly. Heath's idea of bossiness and control was explaining exactly what he was doing…every step of the way. I would have preferred the action without the commentary. To me, I did not feel that the intimacy reached anywhere near the level of needing a safe word. Sure, Heath was a little bossy and uses his cuffs at home as well as the office, but she asked for it. I'm pretty sure a simple no if she was feeling unsafe, would have sufficed.
I liked Tempting Justice. The characters were interesting, the storyline held my attention and I finished with a smile on my face. I will definitely be reading more of this series in the future.


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Friday, 22 April 2016
Researchers have been awarded $334,000 in the Cancer Council Western Australia's 2016 research program to improve the ways we detect and treat cancer.
Dr Nicolas Hart from ECU's Exercise Medicine Research Institute was awarded $34,742 to develop safe and effective supervised exercise programs for prostate cancer patients with secondary tumours in their bones.
Dr Hart's world-first research is investigating whether exercise targeted directly to tumour sites can slow their growth.
"Currently, in the advanced stage of disease, once cancer has spread to bone it is incurable, with few treatment options available to slow cancer progression and alleviate associated symptoms."
"We know that exercise is highly beneficial for people suffering from cancer in many different ways, but this will be the first time we have tried to target the exercise directly to the part of the body where tumours are growing in bone," he said.
"As well as the potential to interfere with tumour growth and spread, it is expected that the targeted exercise will also help alleviate bone pain as well as preserve muscle and bone mass in patients."
Dr Hart said the funding from the Cancer Council Western Australia was vital to supporting local early career researchers.
Dr Elin Gray, from ECU's Melanoma Research Group, was awarded $199,182 to support her work on the development a blood test for early prediction of the effectiveness of different types of treatments for melanoma patients.
"Despite the significant success of recent melanoma treatments, some therapies are effective in only a proportion of patients – about 15 to 35 per cent – and other treatments only work for a short period due to the development of drug resistance," she said.
"Currently the only way to determine the effectiveness of a particular form of treatment is to rely on an invasive biopsy, which only provides information about a single tumour at a particular point in time and radiological scans, which lack sensitivity.
"By evaluating the circulating tumour DNA present in patient's blood we hope to be able to develop a blood test that can help guide treatment options."
Dr Gray said that identifying which treatment is best suited to each patient allows the personalisation of their therapy which reduces the cost and side effects of treatment and increasing its effectiveness.
If you're interested in studying Medical Science at ECU, visit our Medical and Health Science web page.
Here you'll find information about this and related courses, including videos and galleries about our facilities, our students and our lecturers.
Please leave a comment about your rating so we can better understand how we might improve the page.


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My family usually has pizza in some shape or form every Friday night. I thought I would trick them into getting a few more vegetables in their diets with this easy Zucchini Pizza Casserole!
Serves: 6-8
Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Homemade pizza with a zucchini crust!
15 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
- 4 cups shredded zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- Pepperoni, for topping
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Squeeze excess moisture out of shredded zucchini with paper towels and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add salt, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs. Stir until well combined.
- Press mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Spread marinara sauce over zucchini crust.
- Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, as desired.
- Place back in the oven and bake for 20 more minutes.
- Let cool for a few minutes and serve.
Six Sisters Stuff